The World of the Gallowglass: Kings, Warlords and Warriors in Ireland and Scotland, 1200-1600

This volume contains the proceedings of a recent Edinburgh conference at which scholars discussed the intersection of Scottish and Irish politics and culture in the later Middle Ages. It was a world epitomized by the neglected figure of the galloglass and several of the papers explore the role of these West Highland dynasties and their rapid proliferation throughout Ireland from the late thirteenth century onwards, but the volume also examines the high politics of Scottish royal involvement in Ireland, and the common culture of Gaeldom, particularly as manifested in the corpus of surviving bardic verse. Contributors include: Steve Boardman, David Caldwell, Alison Cathcart, SeÃ?Â?Ã?¡n Duffy, David Edwards, Wilson McLeod, Kenneth Nicholls, Alasdair Ross, Katharine Simms, and Alex Woolf. The Intersection Of Scottish And Irish Politics And Culture In The Late Middle Ages Is Encapsulated In The Figure Of The Galloglass. These West Highland And Hebridean Warriors Feature Prominently In The Military History Of Late Medieval And Early Modern Ireland; Yet, Though Often Mentioned, Their Role Has Never Been Properly Analyzed. In This Collection Of Essays, Sean Duffy Examines The 'prehistory' Of The Galloglass In Irish Warfare, Kenneth Nicholls Presents A Full Discussion Of The Various Branches Of Galloglass Kindred That Rapidly Proliferated Throughout Ireland From The Late Thirteenth Century Onwards; And David Caldwell Reconstructs From Artefacts, Images And Documentary Sources How A Galloglass Warrior May Have Appeared And Operated - His Dress, His Weaponry, And His Famous Galleys. But The Volume Also Examines 'high Politics': R.a. Mcdonald Assesses The Significance Of Manx Sea Power In The North Irish Sea Region; Alasdair Ross Re-evaluates The Evidence For An Irish Link In The Revolts Against The Scots Kings In Northern Scotland In The Late Twelfth And The Thirteenth Centuries; Alex Woolf Explores The Mystery Surrounding The Identity Of The King Of Argyll Who Fell In The Battle Of Ballyshannon In 1247; Alison Cathcart Looks At The Irish Ambitions Of King James V, And David Edwards Unravels The Part Played By An Obscure Fellow Of Trinity College Dublin In James Vi's Succession To The Throne Vacated By The College's Founder, Elizabeth I.--book Jacket. The Prehistory Of The Galloglass / Seán Duffy -- Moray, Ulster And Macwilliams / Alasdair Ross -- Dealing Death From Man : Manx Sea Power In And Around The Irish Sea, 1079-1265 / R. Andrew Mcdonald -- A Dead Man At Ballyshannon / Alex Woolf -- Scottish Mercenary Kindreds In Ireland, 1250-1600 / Kenneth Nicholls -- Images Of The Galloglass In Poems To The Macsweeneys / Katherine Simms -- James V, King Of Scotland -- And Ireland? / Alison Cathcart -- Having The Right Kit : West Highlanders Fighting In Ireland / David H. Caldwell -- Images Of Scottish Warriors In Later Irish Bardic Poetry / Wilson Mcleod -- Securing The Jacobean Succession: The Secret Career Of James Fullerton Of Trinity College Dublin / David Edwards. Seán Duffy, Editor. Papers From A Conference Held In The University Of Edinburgh In March 2003. Includes Bibliographical References. Cover 1 Half-title page 2 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 6 List of illustrations 8 List of contributors 10 Editor’s preface 12 A note on the orthography of personal names 13 Abbreviations 14 1. The prehistory of the galloglass 18 2. Moray, Ulster, and the MacWilliams 41 3. Dealing death from Man: Manx sea power in and around the Irish Sea, 1079-1265 62 4. A dead man at Ballyshannon 94 5. Scottish mercenary kindreds in Ireland, 1250-1600 103 6. Images of the galloglass in poems to the MacSweeneys 123 7. James V, king of Scotland - and Ireland? 141 8. Having the right kit: West Highlanders fighting in Ireland 161 9. Images of Scottish warriors in later Irish bardic poetry 186 Untitled 205